Hi Hosni,
I was injured nearly 21 years ago at about the age you are right now. It was hard to imagine being able to go back to work at the time. I began working with Vocational Rehabilitation Services shortly after injury and after some extensive aptitude testing I attended and completed a one-year training program in computer programming. This led to an internship with the federal government where I worked full time without pay for four months. It allowed me to gain experience and demonstrate I could do the work and maintain a full-time schedule. When my internship ended, I was hired by the facility under a program initiated to recruit disabled employees. I started as an entry-level database application developer and eventually became an IT project manager. I did have assistance in getting hired, but in 17 years I was promoted five times and received numerous outstanding annual performance appraisals and awards based on merit. I share this not to boast but to demonstrate a high level quad can not only exist in the workplace, he/she can compete and succeed. I highly recommend employment with the federal government. The vast majority of federal positions are only open to current Federal employees, but exceptions are made for qualified individuals with disabilities. Benefits are excellent. Pay is competitive with the private sector, and you start out receiving 10 holidays and accruing 13 vacation and sick days annually. Health and life insurance is relatively inexpensive and there are no pre-existing exclusions. I opted for a federal disability retirement last summer which provides me with a disability retirement annuity until age 62 when I am eligible for regular Social Security. This is separate from SSDI which I now also receive. I am also able to retain my federal employee health and life insurance at the same rates as when I was employed. Computers and computer related careers are great equalizers for people with disabilities. Adaptive software and hardware allows full, effective use of the computer and most applications. People are often surprised to learn that I had not used a computer before my injury and my hands have never touched a computer keyboard or mouse. I use a mouthstick and mostly voice recognition software to operate my computers. Many computer related careers can be done by telecommuting. I had this option while working for the government. I preferred to be in the office, but it was extremely helpful if I needed to work at home due to health or transportation issues. The key to employment with or without a disability is having skills you can provide to your employer in whatever career you choose. Training and/or education is crucial and it often does not end once you get hired. With hard work, persistence, flexibility and some luck mixed in, you will have the recipe for success. Best of luck in your quest for employment. Steve - C4, 20 years From: Hosni Al-khatib [mailto:hosnialkha...@hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 8:26 PM To: quad-list Subject: [QUAD-L] what a quad can work? Hi My name is Hosni , I am 27 years old, I am a(c4, c5) since 2001. I want to ask what a quadriplegic person can work after his injury to continue his life as a normal person. What kind of work? Take care God bless you _____ See all the ways you can stay connected to <http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowslive/default.aspx> friends and family
